As the NBA season enters its final quarter, and players prepare for the playoffs, I thought it would be a good time to run down my favorite player model sneakers of the entire season. This year was bit of a down year for Nike Basketball in my opinion, but some other brands took the leap and distinguished themselves on the court.
Here are the top five of the 2015-2016 season!
5. Nike KD 8
Eh. That's the best word I can use to describe the KD 8 model. The shoe itself doesn't look like a basketball shoe, more like a trainer or runner, and the colorways have been severe letdowns. Colorways like the "Aunt Pearl," that were extremely successful and popular in years past, continue to sit on shelves. Oh, and the $200 price tag is extremely unwarranted for a shoe with little to no new and innovative technology. The KD model used to be an inexpensive, highly effective on court option, it's slowly straying away from that, and it's not a good transition.
4. Nike LeBron 13
Okay, so I have a soft spot for the LeBron model each and every year, as I have every model 1-13. However, I won't hesitate to say that this model has clearly been the worst. There are some nice pieces of newer technology on the sneaker that makes it perform very well on the court. But this is easily one of the hardest basketball sneakers to wear casually. The colorways weren't bad, with the "All Star," and "Opening Night" colorways being very impressive. All in all, the model was a bit of a let down this year. Here's to hoping the 14 is better!
3. Adidas D Lillard 2
One of the sneakers that really came out of nowhere to impress this season, the Lillard 1 was a very low-key shoe that did relatively well but didn't blow anyone's minds. Now, there were only four colorways in the 2, and so far this model is impressive, to say the least. With the "static," and "Rose city" colorways being pretty appealing, I look forward to some more colorways. Plus, this shoe performs as easily one of the best on the court this season, all I see is rave reviews all over blogs.
2. Under Armour Curry 2
Another sleeper sneaker that I hate to admit have been very impressive. I don't like Steph Curry, I have made that abundantly clear as of late. But, bottom line, the sneaker itself is one of the best on-court sneakers, and aesthetically look better than last years model. Another win for UA, as they continue to make a name for themselves in the basketball world.
1. Nike Kobe 11
Another year, another great Kobe model. The first five colorways I have seen have been fantastic except the "BHM" colorway. Not a fan of those. However, the "All Star," "White/Black," and "Eulogy" colorways are amazing. Plus, initial pictures of this years "Bruce Lee" model look to be very promising. The combination of looks and performance makes the Kobe 11 the best sneaker(so far) of the 2015-2016 season.
